Teachers’ strike dates: When and where are schools affected?

Teachers in England and Northern Ireland will go on strike again during the summer term.

Members of the National Education Union in England will strike on Thursday 27 April and Tuesday 2 May.

In Northern Ireland, five teaching unions will strike on Wednesday 26 April.

England

Unions want above-inflation increases, plus extra money to ensure any pay rises do not come from schools’ existing budgets.

The government’s offer included a £1,000 one-off payment this year and a 4.3% pay rise for most staff next year. The starting salary for teachers in England is also due to rise to £30,000 a year by September 2023. The National Education Union (NEU), the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) have rejected the offer.

The Department for Education said it was a “fair and reasonable offer” and that schools would receive an extra £2.3bn over the next two years.

Unions argue it was “insulting” and not fully funded, which could mean schools having to make cuts elsewhere.

The government said it believes schools can afford to fund most of the 4.3% pay rise through money already promised in the Autumn Statement, but that it would have provided some additional money to fund the remainder of it, and to fund the £1,000 one-off payment.

Two other unions in the dispute are consulting their members to ask what they think about the offer.

Most state school teachers in England had a 5% rise in 2022.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said pay would now be decided by the independent pay review body, which previously recommended a 3% rise from September 2023. This means the £1,000 payment for this year will not happen.

Teachers’ salaries in England fell by an average of 11% between 2010 and 2022, after taking inflation into account, the Institute for Fiscal Studies says. Unions claim pay has fallen by as much as 23% in that time.

Announcing the ballot result at its national conference on 3 April, the NEU confirmed the next two days of strike action in England will be 27 April and 2 May.

The NEU executive will consult on three more days of strike action at the end of June/beginning of July, when it meets on 18 May.

Wales

Teachers from the NEU have agreed on an increased pay offer of 8% for 2022-23 (a 6.5% increase in annual pay, plus a one-off payment of 1.5%) – and a 5% increase in annual pay for 2023-24.

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) in Wales has rejected the offer. The union is calling for talks to resume, and says funding arrangements remain a major concern for school leaders.

Since 1 February, NAHT members have been taking action short of strikes – which includes refusing to attend evening meetings, only responding to calls and emails from 09:00-15:00, and not taking part in staff appraisals.

Scotland

The dispute has ended in Scotland as unions have accepted a 7% rise for 2022-23, backdated to April. They have also accepted a 5% rise in April 2023, and a 2% one in January 2024.

Northern Ireland

Five teaching unions in Northern Ireland will strike on Wednesday 26 April.

The NAHT, the NASUWT, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO), the Ulster Teachers’ Union (UTU) and the NEU will take part, and most schools are expected to close.

It is the first time in its 125-year history that members of the NAHT will be striking over pay.

Many teachers were offered 3.2% for 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Action short of a strike also continues.

Classroom teachers were paid an average of £38,982 in the 2021-22 school year in England, £39,009 in Wales and £40,026 in Scotland. Northern Ireland did not provide a figure.

The average head teacher salary in England for the same period was £74,095, and £57,117 for other senior leaders.

Experts advise ministers about teacher pay, based on factors such as vacancy rates and subject shortages.

As with all public spending, money allocated in England is awarded proportionately to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Employers also contribute 23.68% to teacher pensions. Nurses, by comparison, receive 14.38%.

Teachers from the NEU in England took part in regional and national strike action across six days in February and March.

More than 50% of schools closed or restricted attendance on the national strike days, according to government data.

Members of four unions in Northern Ireland took part in a half-day strike on 21 February.

No further strikes are planned.

Strikes closed almost every primary and secondary school in Scotland across two days in January. The dispute has now been resolved.

About 40% of Wales’ 1,500 schools closed in a national NEU walkout on 1 February, and hundreds more only opened to some year groups. Action short of a strike by the NAHT continues.

Schools should open in England if possible, the government says, but fewer than half were fully operational during the national strikes on 1 February and 15 and 16 March.

Teachers do not have to say in advance if they are striking, and there are no rules about when parents must be notified about closures.

Head teachers decide whether to shut schools. Some parents may only be told about a closure on the morning itself, once staff numbers are known.

There are no minimum staffing rules, and heads can use agency staff or volunteers, who do not have to follow the curriculum.

Schools may offer remote education, but this is not compulsory.

You can ask for leave to care for “family and dependents”, including emergency childcare.

Your employer must not refuse a reasonable request, but you may not be paid. Alternatively you may be able to take holiday or unpaid parental leave.

Schools should prioritise vulnerable pupils and key workers’ children.

Exams and other formal assessments must also be managed, with students notified about any changes.

Schools must also support children eligible for benefits-related free school meals if schools close.

Source:  https://www.bbc.com/